Wikipedia tells me that the Swiss Guard comprises 110 men, the Gendarmerie 130, and the Fire Service 14(!). Why such fully articulated ranks? A 130-man police force in an English-speaking country would have Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant/Inspector, Captain/Chief Inspector/Superintendent. Maybe.

jrichardn2 wrote:Wikipedia tells me that the Swiss Guard comprises 110 men, the Gendarmerie 130, and the Fire Service 14(!). Why such fully articulated ranks? A 130-man police force in an English-speaking country would have Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant/Inspector, Captain/Chief Inspector/Superintendent. Maybe.

I would assume they simply want to have a theoretical equivalency to their italian counterpart since I assume that's where they recruit.